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Outreach social work service

Social workers promote social change and empowerment by adhering to the principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility, and respect for diversity.

Social workers establish caring and respectful relationships with intention, and purpose, to strengthen, restore and uphold the safety and wellbeing of those they work with. Social workers identify strengths, needs and support networks to prioritise goals that will enhance social connectedness, and assist in addressing life challenges and major events.

Social workers apply their knowledge and expertise in a variety of ways, his includes direct work with people and whānau, therapeutic social work, community-led development, consultancy, research, education, supervision, facilitation, and advocacy.

Ko Taku Reo is in the process of employing an Auckland based Social Worker who will provide direct support to students in Auckland’s Deaf provisions. They will also be able to provide remote support to through Telepractice, to students, teaching teams and local mainstream school teams throughout the rest of the country. In Christchurch Social Work support is contracted to The Christchurch Methodist Mission who work with local students and whanau. Currently In-reach and Local Visit support is not available through our Social Work service. However, this is something that is planned in the future.

Values

Our social work practice is guided by:

  • Social Workers Registration Board
  • Ko Taku Reo, Deaf Education New Zealand school values.
  • Social Justice
  • Human Rights
  • Collective responsibility
  • Dignity
  • Integrity
  • Promote social change

Social Work Registration Board

  • A strong commitment to Deaf bi-lingual and bi-cultural practice
  • Valuing Deaf cultural norms
  • Provide students with an environment where they can Belong, Grow, Choose, Excel
  • Access to resources and services students need to be happy and engaged learners
  • To have opportunities to be their best and become confident leaders of their own lives.

Ko Taku Reo School Values

How to access this service

  • If anyone from a learner’s existing team has noticed that they need support around emotional, mental health, well-being, safety, whanau support, they can refer to our Social Work service. This can be done by filling in a referral form and sending it to the Integrated Services referral email: Integratedservices@kotakureo.school.nz.
    It is preferable that referrals have whānau consent. However if this is not possible for safety concerns or the student does not want whanau to know, referrals can be made without parental consent. Students can also self-refer to this service.

    The Social Worker will also spend time with students and teaching teams in an informal basis to build relationships and may do small pieces of work during this.

    If this referral is an emergency and cannot wait for a referral form to be responded to, please email directly to Paul Scammell, Integrated Services Lead at paul.scammell@kotakureo.school.nz

  • You will receive an email receipt of your referral and a team member may contact you to gather more information if needed. The referral will be accepted or declined, and this will be communicated to the referrer and their team.

  • A team member will contact the learner’s team, (including whanau if appropriate), the learner, teachers and other professionals.

  • Assessment will be carried out using formal (e.g. tests) and/or informal (e.g. observation) methods. When appropriate, Whānau and team members are central to this process.

  • Assessment findings will be used to determine the level of support for the learner and their team. The Social Worker will then work with the learner’s team, including teaching staff, their whānau, and the learner, to co-construct a Support Plan. The Support Plan will have clear learning goals and an agreed time frame. The time frame will include review points for the support being given.

  • At review meetings, the team will decide on criteria that will show that the learner’s Support Plan is complete.

    When the criteria have been met, or the team has agreed that the Support Plan is complete for a different reason, then the team will organise a Next Steps meeting.

    At the Next Steps meeting, progress will be reviewed, and final recommendations will be discussed before the learner’s Support Plan is closed.

    The learner may be re-referred to the Ko Taku Reo Social Work service in the future, if anyone from the learner’s team (existing or new) identifies further need.